Still skeptical about AGW? July breaks 9,000 heat records

Even though we should be cautious not to mistake weather for climate, the trends of the last few years are undeniable: the average temperatures for each year are increasing, with 2010 tied for being the hottest year ever on record.

If that wasn’t enough, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), July was so hot that:

Just by plotting the location of each and every daily heat record that was broken, a nearly complete image of the contiguous United States is visible.

Last month almost 9,000 daily heat records were broken or tied across the country. This includes 2,755 highest maximum temperatures and 6,171 highest minimum temperatures (nighttime records).

Some cities reached daily high temperatures 19 out of the 31 days in the month,

the NOAA reported.

Still skeptical about AGW? The evidence is piling up. Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?

Anyone educated in the science of climate would know to disregard these lows, as climate change is an average change over many years, not two. Locally cold winters have nothing to do with an increasing average global temperature.

Additionally the last decade (2000-2009) is still the hottest on record.

Anyone educated in the science of climate would know to disregard these highs, as climate change is an average change over many years, not a few. Locally Anyone educated in the science of climate would know to disregard these lows, as climate change is an average change over many years, not two. Locally hot summers have nothing to do with an increasing average global temperature.

True, but I don’t think the winters I refered to could be described as local, seeing as how they included N America, UK, Europe, Asia, Siberia, Mongolia and China.

“Additionally the last decade (2000-2009) is still the hottest on record.”

Yes, locally hot summers by themselves would not account for AGW, but when viewed from the perspective as following a trend set by the hottest decade on record, it follows.

The urban heat island effect does not even begin to account for a rising average global temperature, as both urban and rural areas show the same heating trend.

And yes records are what we use to predict trends and preform science. The current warming trend is more than what we saw for 1860-1880 or 1910-1940, before this, ice cores show that any warming trends over the Earth’s life have also been less significant.

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About the Author

Kyle Hill is a science writer and communicator who specializes in finding the secret science in your favorite fandom. His work has appeared in Wired, The Boston Globe, Scientific American, Popular Science, Discover Magazine, and more. He is a TV correspondent for Al Jazeera America's science and technology show TechKnow.